The Northwest Ohio Precision Ag Sprayer Day will be held Tuesday, Aug. 9, at the Fulton County Fairgrounds (8591 State Route 108, Wauseon). The event will run 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
The morning portion of the program will focus on education: how to calibrate sprayers to ensure the right rate, the right coverage, and the right droplet size to minimize drift while maximizing coverage. Erdal Ozkan, an agricultural engineering professor in the college and spray technology expert, and Greg LaBarge, agronomic systems field specialist with OSU Extension, will lead that portion of the program. Also in the morning, Gaerte Ag Service will conduct a fly-over aerial spray demonstration, and a sponsor panel will discuss improved pesticide technologies.
In the afternoon, live demonstrations will take place thanks to the participation of industry partners. Participants at the event will qualify for 3.5 hours of pesticide applicator recertification credits from both the Ohio and the Michigan departments of agriculture.
Registration is $25 if postmarked by Aug. 1 or $40 at the door (space permitting) and includes lunch. A complete agenda and registration form can be downloaded at fulton.osu.edu. For more information, contact Eric Richer at [email protected] or call the Fulton County OSU Extension office at 419-337-9210.
If that’s too far away, the date doesn’t work, or you don’t need the Pesticide Applicator Recert credits, the Southwest Ohio Corn Growers Field Day on Tuesday, Aug. 16, will also focus on sprayer technologies to improve accuracy and efficiency while saving you money. In addition to new sprayer technologies, this Field Day will also address nutrient applications and placement.
Some topics discussed during the event will include the following: spray tip selection, sprayer management and in-field demonstration, cover crop demonstration, variable rate nutrient management, Enlist research and demonstration, variable rate technology, aerial mapping, and using a nitrogen sensor.
The field day is free and open to the public. It’s from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Fayette County Farm, 2770 state Route 38 NE in Washington Court House. The event will also feature a trade show and legislative updates from the Ohio Corn and Wheat Growers Association and the National Corn Growers Association. Membership in the Ohio Corn and Wheat Growers Association will be available at the event, and members are eligible for two $500 gift certificate drawings. For more information, contact Ken Ford at 937-441-5762 or [email protected] or call the Fayette County OSU Extension office at 740-335-1150.
Starting in August, the Sustainable Agriculture Team at OSU will present 10 tours of Ohio farms to spotlight new crops and methods. The free tours will feature topics including hops, grapes, high tunnels, organic farming, direct selling to consumers, and farm to school programs. The lineup is part of the wider Ohio Sustainable Farm Tour and Workshop Series.
One of the closer tours that might be of interest will be on Thursday, Aug. 18, in Bowling Green: From 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., the Northwest Ohio Hops Field Day will be held at the Agricultural Incubator Foundation, 13737 Middleton Pike, Bowling Green. Brad Bergefurd, a horticulture specialist with OSU, will showcase the farm’s one-year-old planting of hops. He’ll discuss hop cultivars, methods, pest management, and more.
Further details on the tours and all the events in the Ohio Sustainable Farm Tour and Workshop Series, including contacts for more information, are in a PDF file at go.osu.edu/2016FarmTourBooklet. The tours sponsored by the Sustainable Agriculture Team start on page 21.
It’s fair season … and no, it’s not gonna be cooler! But, fair will still be a good time to see people, visit, eat some good food! See ya there!
